Larger-than-life, reckless and eccentric Imelda embarks on a quest to settle old scores before celebrating her 100th birthday. The filmmaker plays her as she feistily expounds on refusing to grow old.
Imelda, a larger-than-life character inspired by the director's own grandmother, is a notary's widow who lives in Gentilly, where she exercises a certain control over her family. With her landmark 100th birthday fast approaching, she's restless, with old scores still to settle before any celebrations can begin. Structured as 12 'chapters' chronicling her late years, Imelda faces a bucket-list of challenges exploring the ties that bind a family together. When that last Exit door must finally be walked through, will Imelda ever be able to leave in peace?—Maison 4:3
When Martin Villeneuve's crusty old paternal grandmother passed away at the age of 101, he thought it would be a nice gesture to don her clothes and make-up and shoot a little comic short in her honour. He won the Union des Artistes Best Actor award in 2014 for the short IMELDA. Two more award-winning shorts featuring Villeneuve as Imelda were released in 2020. And now comes the feature, a hilarious valentine to a crotchety old woman who speaks her mind and is not always kind or politically correct. She tries to make peace with estranged arch-rival Fat Simone (Ginette Reno), but can't help mumbling about how she never liked fat people. As her memory starts to fade, she often does not recognize which of her sons is by her side, but makes cutting barbs about her useless kids anyway. In one very funny scene, she looks at a picture of grandson Denis (director of DUNE) and decides to send him a cheque for $100, so he can afford to get a square meal. She is a bit like the Tyler Perry creation Medea, over the top but affectionately portrayed. Despite her cantankerous nature, the lonely plight of the elderly, as they are shuffled off to old-age homes and away from family, comes through loud and clear. In 2012, a screening of Martin Villeneuve's MARS ET AVRIL at Whistler led to him being invited to give a TED Talk in the United States, only the third Canadian and first Quebecois to be invited to do so. It is with great pride that we present this completely new and different and very funny cinematic ode to the filmmaker's grandmother.—Whistler Film Festival
In THE 12 TASKS OF IMELDA, his second feature film, Martin Villeneuve dons the clothes and make-up of his paternal grandmother (who lived until she was 101 years old) in a dramatization of Imelda's journey to complete a bucket list of challenges before her 100th birthday. No words can truly describe the bizarre hilarity found in Villeneuve's affectionate tribute to his beloved grandmother. Villeneuve plays Imelda as a tart-tongued force of nature - nasty, petty, but full of life and not willing to fade into the great beyond without putting up a fight.—Whistler Film Festival
Imelda, a larger-than-life character inspired by the director's own grandmother, is a notary's widow who lives in Gentilly, where she exercises a certain control over her family. With her landmark 100th birthday fast approaching, Imelda realizes that she isn't yet at peace, with old scores still to settle before any celebrations can begin. Structured as 12 'chapters' chronicling her last years, Imelda faces a bucket-list of challenges: She dreams of reconnecting with her one great love, Herman. She threatens to commit suicide in the family swimming pool by overcoming a lifelong phobia of frogs. She faces down her sons, Jean and André, both duck-hunting notaries. She schemes to get her driver's license back and drive her beloved Imperial '59. Through sheer will, she sets out to become invincible. She practices English - with her Japanese friends. She's determined to extend her dog Pipo's life. She tries to belatedly bond with daughter Diane. She confronts the light at the end of the tunnel. She tries to make peace with her lifelong rival, Fat Simone. She catches her last train. She even tries to bury the hatchet with son Jean. As her long and winding life finally draws towards that Exit door, will Imelda ever be able to leave in peace? Throughout the film, based on real events and exploring the ties that bind a family together, we'll walk in the footsteps of this feisty, sharp-tongued, iron-willed and deeply touching woman, driven by a contagious energy!
Imelda is a volcano in seemingly near-constant eruption, a diminutive, bittersweet woman, driving those closest to her crazy. Despite her keen sense of drama, her bitterness, her sufferings, her take-no-prisoners scathing wit, her outspokenness, her acidity, the atypical viewpoint she has on the world and her paradoxical and unexpected observations, she nonetheless has a big heart and, in her own way, shows extraordinary generosity. Imelda never resigns herself to the idea of aging. She would clearly rather die than stop living! Fearless, never lacking bravado, she plunges into this world, always with that same determined and liberating recklessness. As much through her direct and irreverent words as by her daring acts, Imelda makes us laugh while nonetheless letting us understand that, for her, this is the only way to truly live, right up to the very end of our lives.
